If you were looking for candidates to be the first to really slow down Andrew Luck and the undefeated Stanford Cardinal this season, the Oregon St. Beavers were probably the last team you'd ever think of. But here they are, the first of four final regular season tests before the Pac-12 Championship Game, as Stanford sits four wins away from a potential dream 13-0 season going into January.
The Oregon State defense has given up only 222 or so passing yards a game (which is average), but they've also given up a 64 percent completion rate (98th in FBS) and conceded 17 touchdowns with only seven interceptions to show for it. All this amounts to a very weak passing efficiency defense that ranks 108th in FBS. Oregon State's run defense is average, conceding about 155 yards on the ground.
This amounts to a pretty average defense that Luck, Taylor and the Cardinal can expect to face on Saturday. It shouldn't be a huge challenge if Stanford can avoid the turnovers and keep the ball moving on both the running and passing fronts.
For more on Oregon State football, head to Building the Dam. For more on Stanford football, head to Rule of Tree.